Tennis Betting Advice - May 2022
French Open Day 1: Target the bottom half at 70/1…
Sunday 22nd May 2022
Welcome to Day 1 of your French Open 2022 daily service…
Here we go, folks. The alarm clock was barely needed this morning. I zipped out of bed with more speed than usual. The first day of a Grand Slam is always exciting, bringing with it the promise of two whole weeks of top tennis. And the tantalising prospect of a huge-odds winner…
I’ll be in your inbox covering every day of the French Open. Your emails will be with you bright and early in the morning. On your behalf, each day I’ll be watching as many matches as I can, staying on top of the need-to-know tennis news from Paris, and tracking the latest odds and player performance. All part of our quest to land a big payday.
How we play…
If you’ve been with me before – as many of you have – then you’ll know how it works: we don’t win every time, but when we do, by golly is it worth it.
In the tournament Outright Winner markets, the Ones to Watch way is to back appealing outsiders at attractive Each Way prices. And in the matchday markets, be it one player to beat another, or a niche market like Most Aces or Double Faults, I’ll always be looking for some betting value for us.
The opening stack of 1st round matches start from 10am today, UK time. Without further ado, let’s get started…
Women’s Outright Winner opportunities…
We’ve already had our first outsider bet for Roland Garros 2022. If you’re new to the service or missed it on Friday, I flagged up 20-year-old MARIA CAMILA OSORIO SERRANO as One to Watch at triple-figure prices. You can read my full reasoning for backing Camila Osorio (as she is sometimes referred to), in the email archive on our website, here.
The Colombian clay-courter was 200/1+ with the bookies quoted on Friday. The headline 900/1 with Unibet lasted less than 15 minutes. As I write this morning, Boylesports are the best price, at 500/1. Followed by Bet365 at 200/1. With everyone else pretty much 100/1 across the board, with Each Way terms of 1/2 odds for 1-2 places.
I say ‘wide open’ for a reason…
That triple-figure long-shot selection is as good a place as any to start our French Open journey. As the women’s event, and women’s recent Grand Slams in general, have been absolutely prime hunting ground for big-odds winners and finalists…
There are plenty of numbers to point to when labelling the women’s tournament as ‘wide open’:
Targeting the bottom…
One of the reasons for getting Maria Camila Osorio Serrano in the book is that she is in the bottom half of the women’s draw. Put simply, that's the half to be in, as you avoid world no.1 and red-hot tournament favourite, Iga Swiatek. That’s not to say the Pole is unbeatable. Nobody is unbeatable. Indeed, we may well take our old friend Iga on, if I see a player & price or two that look worthy of our attention. We have plenty of time to get involved in the top half in the days to come.
In the bottom section though – made up of Quarters 3 and 4 of the women’s drawsheet – the plan is to back a selection of players at Each Way prices in the Outright Winner market…
BIANCA ANDREESCU (33/1, 30/1, 28/1). First on our radar when winning big for us at WTA Indian Wells in 2019, I’ve since backed the Canadian a few times in her injury comeback. To no avail thus far, but the signs this spring are that she really is getting her game back. There are few if any more determined and formidable competitors on the tour than Bianca. In this side of the draw, the former US Open champion has the potential to now threaten again at a Grand Slam. Andreescu is still just 21 years of age – there really could and should be more to come. A current ranking of no.72 says she’s an outsider here. A previous career-high of no.4 in the world hints at what she’s capable of.
ANETT KONTAVEIT (80/1, 66/1, 60/1, 50/1). As I said before backing the Estonian at 33/1 in Rome recently, I’m waiting for Anett Kontaveit to come good on clay this season. She's closer to winning a Major than odds of 66/1 and 50/1 suggest. And despite only going 1/3 odds Each Way rather than the standard 1/2 odds, Paddy Power & Betfair Sportsbook are actually the best place to go to back Kontaveit this morning, with a standout 80/1 on offer. Kontaveit ran into Swiatek in the 3rd round in Paris last year. This time, her draw through the early rounds looks a lot better.
JIL BELEN TEICHMANN (75/1, 66/1, 50/1). Earlier this month, Teichmann got to the Madrid semi finals for us having gone in the book at 28/1. She followed that up with a run to the Rome quarter finals when backed at 33/1+. The 24-year-old Swiss has a lethal forehand, and doesn’t fear taking on the big names. Right now, Jil looks like one of the underdogs in the women’s game that could make a ‘surprise’ run to a maiden Grand Slam final. Odds of 50/1 in general make the left-hander a dark horse here.
I don’t normally do this…
I’m doubling-up with an Outright Winner combo across the men’s & women’s events. With the bottom half of both draws the target area…
The top half of the men's draw contains the three tournament favourites: world no.1 Novak Djokovic at 2/1 (3.0). Teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz at 9/4 (3.25). And Mr French Open himself, 13-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal at 4/1 (5.0). Only one of those can make it to the final.
In the top half of the women's draw, as discussed, world no.1 and 2020 French Open winner Iga Swiatek is the overall favourite to lift the trophy, starting the tournament at odds-on prices of 10/11 (1.91) and 5/6 (1.83). What a difference from less than two years ago, when the young Pole was 100/1.
In the opposite sides of the respective men's and women's drawsheets, two in-form players stand out with convincing best-of-the-rest credentials...
Last season's men's runner-up STEFANOS TSITSIPAS is 9/2 (5.5) with Skybet, Ladbrokes & Coral (4/1 in general elsewhere). In his four clay-court tournaments on the run-up to Paris this spring, the 23-year-old world no.4 has gone: final (won), quarter final, semi final, and then final (runner-up). The confident Greek is played 17 won 14 on clay this year (82% match win rate).
At 12/1, ONS JABEUR is looking ready to make a big run at a Grand Slam. The 27-year-old is up to a career-best world ranking of no.6. The fun-loving Tunisian is played 20 won 17 on clay in 2022 (85%). With a tour-best streak on clay in this year's French Open build-up: final (runner-up), quarter final, final (won), final (runner-up). Jabeur was a Junior French Open winner in 2011. This is her best-ever chance to go all the way in the real thing.
While those 9/2 and 12/1 Outright Winner prices don't get me overly excited on their own, playing them as a self-styled bottom-half-of-the-draws/ avoid the favourites double generates a much more Ones to Watch-friendly price…
An Each Way double on Tsitsipas & Jabeur tops out at 70/1 for the dual win, with the place part worth just over 20/1. I'm willing to get a bit creative here, and that's a bet that I like in terms of backing a couple of form horses – while also getting the chance of a big return.
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Ones to Watch picks:
French Open 2022
Outright Winner – Each Way (1/2 odds 1-2 places)
Women’s:
Already in the book: Maria Camila Osorio Serrano – best price now 500/1 Boylesports, 200/1 Bet365.
Men’s & Women’s:
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I’ll be back at 8am tomorrow with your Day 2 email.
Enjoy the tennis…
Best wishes,
Tom Wilson